Bright future for Omba Arts Trust
The Omba Arts Trust is back on its feet after the impacts of Covid and the collapse of tourism.So says director, Karin le Roux.
“The artisans we support in nine regions of Namibia are at the heart of Omba Arts Trust. Our loyal customers ensure we can meet our mission of supporting these artisan’s livelihoods. At the support we get from local corporate and international donors provides the means to travel to these remote communities to distribute materials, buy handicrafts, train artisans and distribute food parcels, where needed,” she says.
“We have been busier than ever,” she says of their current situation. “Our new Art-i-San cushion range has been launched in Cape Town and we are happy to see the beautiful San-designed products on the shelves of the Zeitz Mocaa Museum shop in Cape Town as well as our recently opened outlet in Swakopmund.
“We took part in a panel discussion about basketry at a Weave a Real Peace Zoom conference held in the USA and we kept our artisans busy with orders and packed many parcels and boxes for our local and international customers.”
She says they are also finishing off the year with a workshop for San basket weavers in the Bwabwata National Park as part of a WWF climate change mitigation programme.
Looking ahead, Karin says that early next year they will be reviving the youth weeding group in a remote settlement of !Kung and Haiǁom in northern Namibia to maximize the yields in their pearl millet fields.
“We’re looking forward to 2023. In the meantime, we wishing you a happy festive season!”